IN THIS ISSUE: the Ultimate Training Management Platform

NOVEMBER 2015 • VOLUME 42 • NO 3 IN THIS ISSUE: The Ultimate Training Management Platform

Workouts and Sets Flexible Progress Manager Season Planner Manager

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04 | The Role of The Assistant 14 | Developing the “Boxer’s In the new version of Swimming Tech- Coach Muscle' for Swimming by Brent Rutemiller by Jan Homolak nique Magazine, we are dedicated to If you get mad easily and don’t hold back from bringing you the best information in the 06 | Technique Preparation throwing a few punches, you might have realized that the serratus anterior is the muscle that gets tired for the 2016 Olympics areas we feel are vital to swimming and easily. When anatomists realized its function, they coaching better. We've broken down our by Rod Havriluk, Ph.D. decided to put “big swing muscle” and “boxer’s With the Olympics less than a year away, it's time muscle” captions next to the original muscle name. content in six categories, and every issue to plan for optimizing performance. However, we will do our best to give info in each. improving technique is not always part of the plan, 17 | Brain Over Brawn and often for very good reasons. The categories are as follows: by Jan Homolak 07 | Effect of an Instructional I was more than just a competitive swimmer. I was Intervention on Swimming one who always had the impulse to look for the ways to improve in the pool, which sparked my Technique & Performance curiosity during lectures in neuroscience. MP MENTAL PREPAREDNESS by Rod Havriluk, Ph.D. In competitive swim programs, training distance is 20 | The Breaststroke Turn often given priority at the expense of technique instruction. The lack of emphasis on technique may by Jozsef Nagy and Dr. Janos Egressy be related to a misperception about the potential The goal of this article is not to describe the turn of T/D TECHNIQUE/DRILLS impact on performance. a world-class breaststroker. The goal is to illustrate a turn that is -- according to the laws of physics and our knowledge of biomechanics -- quickly doable. 08 | Improve Your Backstroke N/R NUTRITION/RECOVERY Starts 24 | Out in the Open (Water) by Bryan Craig by Lillian Nelson To become better at backstroke starts we need to The University of Tennessee is leading the way in be more flexible through the lumbar regions of our a new trend of ditching the pool at the start of the WO WORKOUTS back, as you can see we include some flexibility college swim season and heading to the open water. drills in the backstroke starts progressions here. 27 | Kicking Underwater To 15 10 | Diving Into Meet Warmup Meters: Is It For Everyone? DL DRYLAND by Sarah Lloyd by Delaney Lanker The warm-up portion of a swim meet is best de- Underwater kicking has become the buzz among scribed as organized chaos. It’s the time when the many swimmers and coaches in the past few years. pool churns with hundreds of swimmers, each one Since the turn of the century, swimmers have found trying to avoid kicking someone, or being kicked. that the best way to get faster in butterfly, backstroke RS RACE STRATGEY/PREP and freestyle is to go deep.

12 | A Little Bit of Magic 28 | Race Simulation: The Key To by Bryan Craig Optimal Meet Performance So dive into our new issue, and we hope When I started coaching, I was mentored by Bob by Bryan Craig you enjoy Swimming Technique! Gillett, the legendary coach behind much of Misty Race simulation in a training situation is just that Hyman’s amazing success. Bob always told me –a simulation. How close is simulation to the real to do it my way and add a bit of the unusual to thing? It might look the same, feel the same, but the On the Cover: Michael Phelps everything I do. results are not even close. by Peter H. Bick 13 | Swimming Breaststroke From 29 | Training Sets For Your 200 IM the Hands Down And Butterfly Specialists by Byran Craig by Evan Dulaney There are many ways to swim breaststroke. No one Sets from Cory Kephart and Chad Rehkamp to help does it absolutely perfectly in every way, though train your swimmers in Butterfly and I.M. the best do a lot of things right. I think about SEE OUR HOLIDAY breaststroke in the following way. I invite you to GIFT GUIDE ON take one thing and make it your own. PAGE 33!

SWIMMING TECHNIQUE MAGAZINE - Note: permission to reprint articles or excerpts from contents is prohibited without permission from the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for errors in advertisements. [ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ] Courtesy: H. Bick [ Photo Peter THE ROLE OF AN

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P.O. Box 20337, Sedona, AZ 86341 Toll Free in USA & Canada: 800-511-3029 Phone: 928-284-4005 • Fax: 928-284-2477 www.SwimmingWorldMagazine.com The assistant coaches are the true backbone of a club because, in many cases, Chairman of the Board, President - Richard Deal 80% of the club’s athletes are coached by assistants. Assistant coaches lay the [email protected] foundation that eventually produces the elite athlete. Their influence on the lives Publisher, CEO - Brent T. Rutemiller of young athletes can be as powerful as any teacher or parent. [email protected]

Circulation/Art Director - Karen Deal Many assistant coaches are comfortable as assistants and do not aspire to be- [email protected] come the head coach. Others are waiting to conduct their own program or for Circulation Manager - Taylor Brien the right opportunity to move into another career. Whatever the case, the assis- [email protected] tant coach needs to understand that he or she works for the head coach and not Advertising Production Coordinator - Betsy Houlihan the board of directors. The head coach was the one who hired them and the head [email protected] coach should be the one to supervise them. The board of directors generally EDITORIAL, PRODUCTION, MERCHANDISING, MARKETING AND does not get involved in these matters. ADVERTISING OFFICE

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Graphic Designers - Joe Johnson, Emmi Brytowski It is common for new assistant coaches to want to challenge policies or start new Staff Writers - Michael J. Stott aspects of the program. This generally is healthy and productive within an existing framework. However, because most assistant coaches remain with a club for Fitness Trainer - J.R. Rosania only a period of 8 to 18 months, head coaches are naturally reluctant to divert Chief Photographer - Peter H. Bick from proven paths to placate assistant coaches. New assistant coaches need to SwimmingWorldMagazine.com WebMaster: understand their role as assistants. They need to be patient and try to succeed [email protected] within the vision of the head coach. MARKETING AND ADVERTISING [email protected]

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Peter H. Bick, USA Today Sports Images, Reuters, Getty Images 4 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 Mental Prep for Swim Racing is a Sport Psychology mental training routine which prepares the swimmer for race day competition. It has two components:

1. The Swim Racing Mental Training Program (Multi-media) - An audio-guided, video-enhanced, mental training exercise that is the core element of Mental Prep for Swim Racing

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[email protected] T/D

TECHNIQUE PREPARATION by Rod Havriluk, Ph.D. FOR THE 2016 OLYMPICS Swimming Technology Research PETER H. ] BICK COURTESY: [ PHOTO

ith the Olympics less than a year away, it's time to plan tive swimmers is 1.0. Values under .7 are rare. Wfor optimizing performance. However, improving technique is not always part of the plan, and often for very HOW DO WE KNOW WHEN A SWIMMER'S TECHNIQUE IS good reasons. GOOD ENOUGH? As shown in the graph below, there are proportionally bigger ARE YOUR SWIMMERS AFRAID TO MESS WITH SUCCESS? improvements in velocity with each incremental improve- Swimmers hoping to qualify for the Olympics may be reluctant ment (decrease) in the Cd. For example, a decrease in the Cd to change their technique for a variety of valid reasons: from 1.0 to .9 increases velocity by .1 m/sec (yellow triangle). In comparison, a Cd decrease from .7 to .6 increases velocity 1) They have been successful with their current technique. by almost .2 m/sec (green triangle). So, even if a swimmer's technique is "really good," he/she can still swim substantially 2) They are not convinced that changes will make them faster. faster by continuing to improve technique.

3) They do not want to sacrifice conditioning time to master new technique elements.

Any/all of the above rationale is understandable. However, it's also important to consider the flipside.

WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF QUALIFYING WITHOUT A TECHNIQUE CHANGE? For all but a select few, the chances are slim. (Even for the select few, everything else has to go right!) However, many swimmers get to the point where they know that their technique is pretty good. Naked eye observation or an underwater video by a coach may confirm the swimmer's personal assessment. Un- fortunately, even video does not adequately assess technique, especially in the case of elite swimmers.

WHAT'S BETTER THAN A VIDEO ANALYSIS? The data points for the graph were calculated from the A quantitative analysis is essential to make an informed deci- drag equation (F = .5ρv2CdX), which shows the relation- sion about whether or not to change technique. Measurement ship of swimming velocity (v) and the active drag coef- of the active drag coefficient (Cd) is the only way to really -de ficient (Cd), assuming an average force (F) of 31 lbs and termine if a swimmer's technique is "good enough." The Cd a body cross sectional area (X) of 1000 cm2 (typical val- simplifies technique evaluation to a single objective number, as ues for an elite male swimmer). The values of .5 and ρ opposed to a subjective assessment. are constants. WHAT ARE GUIDELINES FOR THE ACTIVE DRAG COEFFICIENT? The active drag coefficient (Cd) is the overall best measure of The bottom line is that the most technically proficient a swimmer’s technique. The more effective the technique, the swimmers can benefit the most by continuing to improve lower the Cd. There is a considerable range of Cd values – from their technique. A quantitative analysis, however, is nec- over 2.0 for a very ineffective technique to under .7 for very essary to pinpoint the changes to decrease the Cd and get effective technique. An average value for freestyle for competi- swimmers to qualify for Rio! ◀ 6 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 T/D

[ PHOTO COURTESY: PETER H. BICK ] [ PHOTO COURTESY: HAYLEY GOOD ] DELIBERATE PRACTICE AND ELITE SWIMMERS EFFECT OF AN INSTRUCTIONAL Previous research showed a significant effect for an intervention INTERVENTION ON SWIMMING using deliberate practice with age group swimmers (Havriluk, 2006). The purpose of the present study was to determine the TECHNIQUE & PERFORMANCE effect of deliberate practice on the technique of national caliber by Rod Havriluk, Ph.D. swimmers where, in comparison to the age groupers, the habit Swimming Technology Research strength would likely be more resistant to change.

DELIBERATE PRACTICE AND YOUNG TEENS METHOD n competitive swim programs, training distance is often The subjects included 19 national caliber swimmers (11 male Igiven priority at the expense of technique instruction. The and 8 female). The swimmers were pretested with Aquanex- lack of emphasis on technique may be related to a mispercep- +Video on all four strokes. An instructional intervention in- tion about the potential impact on performance. The purpose cluded two classroom and three poolside sessions designed to of this study was to determine the magnitude of the effect of improve technique (as measured by the active drag coefficient, an instructional intervention on technique (as measured by Cd). The intervention was consistent with the concepts of de- the active drag coefficient, Cd) and performance (swimming liberate practice (Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Romer, 1993) and velocity, SV). included clear instructions, appropriate task difficulty, imme- diate feedback, individualized supervision, a variety of learn- METHOD ing strategies, tasks designed to maintain swimmer’s focus in the cognitive and associative learning stages, and replication of The subjects were 18 competitive swimmers (12 males and 6 superior performance. After the intervention, the swimmers females) between the ages of 12 and 15. They were pretested were asked to continue to practice deliberately for one month with Aquanex+Video. The instrumentation and testing pro- during regular team training and were then posttested. tocol were previously described and validated (1). After the pretest, a one-week intervention included three classroom RESULTS and five poolside instructional sessions. The treatment -in There was a significant decrease (improvement) in the Cd cluded technique feedback with specific visual and kinesthetic (p<.05). There was no significant change in swimming veloc- cues designed to improve the Cd and SV. The subjects were ity, but there was a significant decrease in average hand force then posttested. (p<.05).

RESULTS There was an overall significant improvement in both Cd and SV. The Cd decreased by .31s (p<.05) and the SV increased by .26s (p<.05).

DISCUSSION A one-week instructional intervention significantly improved both technique and performance. The magnitude of the effect CONCLUSIONS compares favorably with differences previously found (1) be- The results demonstrate that even a relatively short du- tween faster and slower performance levels in Cd (.46s) and ration of deliberate practice can make a meaningful im- SV (.65s). The results demonstrate that even a relatively short provement in technique for swimmers of a very high duration of carefully targeted instruction can make a meaning- ability level. Because of the technique improvement, the ful improvement in technique and performance and will hope- swimmers were able to swim as fast on the posttest with fully encourage coaches to reconsider training time allocation. less force, and therefore, less effort.◀ OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 7 T/D [ PHOTO COURTESY: PETER H. BICK ] H. BICK PETER COURTESY: [ PHOTO

IMPROVE YOUR BACKSTROKE STARTS by Bryan Craig - Head coach of the GT Shamrocks | demonstrated by: Natalie Gibbons | photos by: Bryan Craig

About the author: Bryan Craig is the head coach of the GT Shamrocks in Albury, New South Wales in Australia. He holds a Level 5 certification with the American Swimming Coaches Association.

BACKSTROKE STARTS PROGRESSION & DRILLS

o become better at backstroke starts we need to be more Tflexible through the lumbar regions of our back, as you can see we include some flexibility drills in the backstroke starts progressions here.

Due to the nature of our training facility we have no starting platforms, however this has not stopped our program developing some of the best starts in the area. Starting off on the foam roller rolling out the lumbar spine for simple stretching of the muscles, it’s important to remain flex- I will show you our progression of backstroke starts from stretch- ible for all forms of swimming. The more flexibility you have in ing through to progression of simple and useful drills that can 1 your lower back the better your backstroke starts become due be performed anywhere in any pool at any depth using simple to the unique nature of the ‘back dive’. tools, following through these progression drills. 8 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 Into the pool we go! The swimmers start off in the shallow We progress to the big ball, stretching the same as the foam end, high jumping over each rope as you can see in the picture roller but a little more fun, rather than it being a basic stretch- below, over every rope. ing we get the swimmers to roll right over the ball until their 3 2 hands touch the floor, with some swimmers they will have their feet off the ground during this.

We come to the wall with the aim of doing a ‘drop push’- drop- ping down, pushing off on back. With streamlines in my program we work to a kicking number rather than a distance. We progress this drill into deeper water, which is harder 5 Our kicking number is 8 fly kicks; the reason for the number to high jump over the ropes whilst still remaining fun and 8 is that as the swimmers grow they will always do 8 kicks engaging. Progressing into deeper water serves the purpose off each wall on starts and turns. Typically, younger kids will 4 of advancing the drill to make it harder for the swimmers, struggle to get to a set distance underwater but will easily do especially younger swimmers where we get lots of laughs and 8 kicks. As the children grow their kicks become stronger and back flops. more natural, leading to them getting a greater distance off the wall with their 8 kicks.

We return to the shallow end and ‘back dive’ over the first rope then under rope 2,3 and 4 in streamline position, mimicking 6 coming off the wall in a backstroke start. Full backstroke start working through from flat handed on our wall. I tend to get the kids to think purely about the speed of their hands leaving the wall/pole and then the drive force up- 7 wards of the feet. During this last segment I put a noodle rope across the pool about one metre out to make sure the kids clear it. They then kick out 8 kicks into breakout.

Typically we do these progression drills on a Friday morning, by the end of the school week and coaching week for me the kids and myself are tired and we don’t need a heavy workout as we have had a pretty full on week before this session.

You can have fun with the swimmers but in the same vein they can learn essential drills and skills without feeling like its hard work. ◀ OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 9 RS [ PHOTO COURTESY: BECCA WYANT ] WYANT BECCA COURTESY: PHOTO [

DIVING INTO MEET WARMUP by Sarah Lloyd

he warm-up portion of a swim meet is best described as temperature,” she said. “It is also important that they under- Torganized chaos. It’s the time when the pool churns with stand that they need to pay attention to the pool, so that they hundreds of swimmers, each one trying to avoid kicking some- are comfortable with these things when they dive into race.” one, or being kicked. But familiarity with the pool is not just for younger swimmers, The purpose of warm-up that most people probably think of is though the older swimmers do not often have to be told to pay the literal warming up of muscles so that a swimmer can race attention to their surroundings. Molly Mucciarone, a senior comfortably and at a high capacity immediately. Cold, tight at the United States Military Academy is a sprinter, so a big muscles just don’t perform the way that warm, loosened ones focus during meet warm-ups also includes close attention to do, so a warm-up is key to a good performance in a race. This the walls and blocks so that her short races can be as flawless extends not only to the initial, longer warm-up session at the as possible. beginning of a meet, but also to the subsequent, shorter ones n between races during the meet session. “I focus on hitting my walls and accelerating out of my turns during the beginning of my warm-up, as well as a good start Warm-ups are arguably the most important part of any swim with a bunch of 15-meter sprints from the blocks,” she said. meet. While the process of using the time to get the mind and body ready to race certainly evolves as a swimmer gets older, Being familiar with the pool can make or break a race, which is there are some basic elements that absolutely stay the same. why both collegiate and age-group swimmers should really pay attention to changes in depth and the use of bulkheads, as well Familiarity with the physical aspects of the pool is key for all as certain “landmarks” in relation to the flags or walls. swimmers, but there is a major emphasis put on this with age- group swimmers. Dina Ellsworth of Peddie Aquatics Associa- Initial warm-up sessions for age-groupers are fairly general. tion says this is of the utmost importance for the 10-and-under Ellsworth says that her swimmers have a predetermined meet swimmers she coaches. warm-up that they practice several days before, to eliminate surprises. “Our goal is to get the swimmers familiar with the pool, especially the backstroke flags, the walls, the blocks, and the water “We do the same warm-up each meet, so that the swimmers 10 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 know what to expect at a meet,” she said. “It is one less un- known variable, and I feel like this cuts down on anxiety, especially in a crowded warm up pool.”

With the same 800-yard warm up at every meet, Ellsworth’s swimmers can focus on getting their body warm and ready to swim fast and not worry about what comes next. The same routine can also put a swimmer’s body into the same race- MOLLY MUCCIARONE’S 3 WARM-UP TIPS: ready state more quickly than if they change it up every time. Don't overthink how you feel before a meet. Feel- ing awkward during warm-up doesn't mean that Mucciarone tries to stick to the same warm-up at every meet: you won't swim well during a race. The reverse is true if you are feeling great during warm-up. Between 800-1000 yards consisting of a 400-yard loosen period, with sculling and kicking thrown in the mix, a set of 100s and 75s build, and 15-meter sprints. Don't do someone else's warm-up! Everyone's body needs a different amount of yards and com- “I try to stick to the same thing, but with me, it’s all about how bination of strokes, drills, and kick to swim fast. I feel, so I change it up a bit if I need to accommodate that,” she said. Don’t complain to coaches about warming up. As This routine works for Mucciarone, who has dramatically less- much as I want to believe that I could swim a fast race with no warm up, our coaches are experts ened the yardage in her warm-ups. It’s become shorter and and know what we need, so listen to them. more specified as she has gotten older and more comfortable making decisions for herself.

For Ellsworth’s swimmers, the focus is getting in the routine of warming up for races, getting comfortable in the pool environment, and to learn to keep moving in the pool, despite crowded conditions. As a swimmer matures and begins to take more responsibility, experimentation becomes important. For Mucciarone, doing a general 2000-yard warm-up with the team left her feeling sluggish and tired, and it had a negative impact on her races. When she shortened it and eliminated extraneous yardage, she began to perform better. But the process is still evolving for her, even though she is in the last year of her collegiate career.

The evolution of a meet warm-up for swimmers is something that comes with experience and age. As swimmers at Peddie mature and begin to find their stroke specializations, their warm-ups naturally change to accommodate those needs: distance freestylers do 1000 more yards than a sprint freestyler, while IMers and stroke swimmers tend to fall somewhere in the middle. It depends on the needs of each individual swimmer at the higher levels.

Meet warm-ups are a stressful, but necessary, part of competition. Crowded conditions, unfamiliar surroundings, and the stress of competing can certainly have an impact on the session, but by focusing on eliminating uncertainty and on specif- ics of races, swimmers can maximize their performance in the warm up pool, and thus their races. ◀ OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 11 WO [ PHOTO COURTESY: BRYAN CRAIG ] BRYAN COURTESY: [ PHOTO A LITTLE BIT OF MAGIC by Bryan Craig

hen I started coaching, I was mentored by Bob Gillett, swam 40 years ago and it made me good” philosophy. Children Wthe legendary coach behind much of Misty Hyman’s and parents have a different frame of mind these days. amazing success. Bob always told me to do it my way and add a bit of the unusual to everything I do. More than 10 years later, I If a child changes coach and suddenly starts to get faster, is it have carried this forward through my coaching career and now because they started working with a new coach? That might be understand what he meant by the “But what-if factor.” true in a mental capacity, but no so much physically, at least for the first six weeks in a new program. Here’s an example. Suppose you give your athletes 10x100 IM with 30 seconds rest. That is a very boring set in which the The first six weeks of new training will help, but you won’t swimmer becomes a north-south swimmer, swimming up and observe improvement until the next six-week block, so each down the pool but getting nowhere. coach is only as good as the last six-week block. The automatic change comes when a swimmer comes to workout more per Things can change for the swimmer (and the coach) if you add week. Then the adaptation period is slightly quicker – rough- a little bit of magic: ly four weeks – but the swimmer will fatigue faster over that period as well. 10×100 IM in reverse order: sprint the free and fly, count strokes in back and breast My challenge to all coaches and parents is to be patient. Things will come around, but it may take that six weeks before it does. This is the same set, all changed up with focus points and mind tricks inserted to keep the kids thinking about exactly what they are doing. When a child does this kind of session, they Change it. Mix it. Don’t be boring. One of the greatest coach- tend not to get lost and tend to not get bored. es I have seen do this is now my assistant coach. He is a very strange character, but he’s a genius. He has the ability to turn When high-end aerobic day comes along, every child should 10×100 free into a game for the kids. get bored with a very long distance swim (i.e. 1000 free). How about 1000 free, where they sprint non-freestyle on every Earlier I mentioned the “but what-if factor.” It comes from fourth length? That’s a lot less boring! asking the following question: But what if I do it this way? Open your mind to the new unusual and inventive and you Many coaches come onto deck exhausted and do not have the will in turn become a great coach. Eliminate the “what-ifs” passion to coach. They tend to give out the norm in training from the equation. sessions, and then wonder why they lose children to louder, more inventive coaches. If you change it up every day, you’re Bill Sweetenham, the legendary coach to many Olympic med- more likely to keep your swimmers from defecting. alists, once asked me what I do with my swimmers and how I do it. My reply: “The same as you, but I add a whole lot of me.” Don’t get stuck with the “Well, this is how we did it when I Right there is my little bit of magic. ◀ 12 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 surface of the water in the prayer position.

T/D The breath should be taken on the way to the top of the stroke, to finish inhaling right at the highest point in the pull phase.

THE KICK Frogs legs? No!

The kick should be at its widest six inches outside the body line, with the feet drawn up and outwards, making sure that the knees stay down. Don’t draw the knees up below the stomach! Kick back and out, snap together, drive the feet to the sur- SWIMMING BREASTSTROKE FROM face in an upward butterfly motion. THE HANDS DOWN by Bryan Craig When looking at a breaststroke swimmer from behind them you should be able to see a “W” leg formation. A good drill for this is kicking with the pull buoy. here are many ways to swim breaststroke. No one does it Tabsolutely perfectly in every way, though the best do a lot TRAINING BREASTSTROKE of things right. I think about breaststroke in the following way. Think of breaststroke as two separate strokes – the kick and the I invite you to take one thing and make it your own. pull. Here’s how you break it down: Let’s start with the pull phase of the stroke. Take the pull and recover the arms. Count “one, two” as you POSITIONING THE HANDS stretch the arms forward. Then, perform the kick and do the “one, two” count again. Repeat. Obviously, the fingers should be together on the pull, but how? Should they be bent or straight? The best position is a relaxed Why should the stroke be trained that way? If you train with an position, neither forced together nor forced wide apart. overlapping of the kick and pull, that overlap becomes much smaller when it comes to sprinting, creating a stop-and-go ap- The most productive position to achieve maximum velocity proach to the stroke where you lose all forward propulsion at and full use of the pull, has the hands one on top of the other, but this can be very stressful on shoulders and can inter- per leg and arm action. You will see a hopping motion in your rupt the pull path. It would also play havoc with the leveling swimmer: Stroke, stop, stroke, stop, stroke, stop. of shoulders as you would have one hand below the other. I advise my swimmers to adopt the prayer position: one thumb Training with a split stroke means that when you come to race overlapping but not gripping the other thumb. This enables the and the gap between the pull and kick gets smaller, you have forefingers to be together, and the pitch of the hands would be the ability to create constant forward propulsion at all times. as if you had your palms over the top of a soccer ball, not flat This makes your stroke look more fluid through the water and but not overly curved. This is a faster way to adopt the initial also makes sure you are getting maximum propulsion from catch of the water. Why rotate the hands 180 degrees when a each pull and kick. 45-degree angle is shorter and faster? THE UNDERWATER PULL As the shoulders relax, the hands dip with thumbs down like The underwater pull in breaststroke is vital, especially in short breaking an egg from the prayer position. The hands still ex- course. When executing the breaststroke turn in practice, try tend forward and outward about six inches wider than the line to relax and count yourself through the process: of the shoulders. (See photo #1) The elbows start to bend as if • Push off the wall, 1, 2 pulling yourself up on a wall. • Power pull down 1, 2 • Bring arms forward 1 The elbows stay high, but the hands stay in the peripheral vision • Break out stroke 2 to the point at which the hands are directly below the elbows. Remember that the first 3 strokes off the dive and turns are The forearms, hands and elbows come together in a fast sweep- more important than any other stroke in that length. They ing motion, with hands staying within the vision and meeting must be fast and very, very strong. in the middle with elbows under the rib cage as close together as feels comfortable for the swimmer. It is important to stress About the author: Bryan Craig is the head coach of the GT Shamrocks that the elbows at this point should be within the frame of the in Albury, New South Wales in Australia. He holds a Level 5 certifica- body line. The hands surge forward on or slightly above the tion with the American Swimming Coaches Association. ◀ OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 13 most of the freestyle stroke cycle and fatigues easily, weak- ness could cause change of the muscle activity pattern and DL result in improper pull with great risk of injury. This conclusion, along with the electromyographical findings that many traditional exercises do not strengthen the boxer’s muscle, led many coaches to implement exercises designed specifically for increasing the strength of the serratus anterior in their dryland training programs.

In addition to allowing the swimmers to hold their shoulder blade in place and create a lever to propel themselves through the water, the serratus anterior has another important purpose that could be interesting for swimmers and other athletes. The boxer’s muscle is also an important accessory muscle for res- piration. The diaphragm, a thin dome-shaped muscle between the abdominal and thoracic cavity, is the major muscle responsible for breathing. The serratus anterior is one of the muscles DEVELOPING THE “BOXER’S that helps the diaphragm when you have to create additional pressure to inhale more air or inhale it faster, especially during MUSCLE' FOR SWIMMING physical activity. When accessory muscles are activated, the re- by Jan Homolak spiratory system machinery works at the peak of its potential. However, with most of the helper muscles being prone to fa- f you get mad easily and don’t hold back from throwing a few tigue, the respiratory engine could also fade after a short time. Ipunches, you might have realized that the serratus anterior This observation is what made some coaches reconsider the is the muscle that gets tired easily. Because of its insertions, the physiological idea that the cardiovascular system is the limit- serratus anterior is largely responsible for the protraction of ing factor of sports performance. the scapula, or, in layman’s terms, pulling the shoulder blade forward and around the rib cage to allow you to throw a punch. HOW CAN SWIMMERS IMPROVE THE SERRATUS ANTERIOR? When anatomists realized its function, they decided to put Training the accessory respiratory muscles, such as the serratus “big swing muscle” and “boxer’s muscle” captions next to the anterior that serves as an important accessory inspiratory mus- original muscle name. cle, could allow an athlete to prolong the duration of their peak pulmonary performance and, therefore, better their chances of The serratus anterior is a muscle that originates on the sur- optimal performance. Research has confirmed these ideas. face from the first to eighth ribs at the side of the chest and inserts along the entire anterior length of the medial border of Inspiratory muscle training can improve the rate of recovery the shoulder blade. If you are one of those swimmers with not during high intensity interval training. Inspiratory muscle very much subcutaneous fat, this is the muscle your friends training can have a positive impact on 100- and 200-meter who skipped anatomy classes thought was ribs when they were swimming races. Inspiratory muscle training also improves making fun of you for how skinny you are. anaerobic capacity in cyclists and sport performance in rowers. WHY IS THIS MUSCLE IMPORTANT IN SWIMMING? Don’t let the term “boxer’s muscle” fool you. Swimmers who The serratus anterior is a scapular stabilizer. The shoulder blade take care of this muscle reduce the risk of shoulder injury, but (or scapula) is very important in swimming. Because there is only one little joint called the sternoclavicular that keeps the also can improve their breathing during training and during a arm attached to the body, scapular stabilization becomes of race. Implementing specific exercises to target these muscles, crucial importance in movement execution. The importance and adding resistance inspiratory training to regular breathing of the serratus anterior in swimming, where great amount of training is something every coach should consider. ◀ propulsive force is created with arm movements, is even greater. Because of this, the serratus anterior gets special attention About the Author: Jan Homolak, a student at the University in the swimming community. of Zagreb Medical School in Croatia, has done research in neuroscience and exercise sciences. He is the associate editor of the Many coaches and sport scientists proved that the incidence student neuroscience journal, Gyrus, at the Croatian Institute of “swimmer’s shoulder” injuries is much greater in athletes for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb. Ho- with poor scapular rotator muscles and serratus anterior molak, also a lecturer and author, swims for Zagrebacki plivacki strength. Since the serratus anterior is active throughout klub (ZPK) in Zagreb with Coach Pero Kuterovac. 14 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 [ PHOTO COURTESY: PETER H. BICK ] the recovery. shoot forward atlightning speed on done correctly,you’llseeyourhands breath isata45-degreeangle.When the pull.Thebestplacetolookon downward duringthebreathaffects wall sinks the hips. Looking directly directly infront ofyouattheopposite the kickphaseofstroke. Looking on breaststroke isvitaltosettingup Your headpositionduringthebreath IN LINEWITHTHESPINE UP AND OVER

The backstroke start should create little disturbance with the water. The advent of the backstroke starting wedge gives athletes the peace of mind that they won’t slip on the touchpad, but will allow for a better trajectory. Arch your back once you’ve pushed away from the wall, to allow your body to enter a hole created by your hands. Your feet should not drag along the surface of the water, but kick up slightly and over the water to enter that hole. [ PHOTO COURTESY: PETER H. ] BICK COURTESY: [ PHOTO MP was more than just a competitive swimmer. I was one who 1804—could allow you to break through the current limits of Ialways had the impulse to look for the ways to improve in the human performance. Furthermore, the alien hat doesn’t only pool, which sparked my curiosity during lectures in neurosci- make you more powerful; it also makes you smarter. ence at the Croatian Institute for brain research. This was not just through the ears of a medical student interested in concepts Supercharging your memory could lead to great improvements in of neuroscience, but also through the ears of a young man pas- learning the technique that will allow you to move faster through sionate about the royal water sport. the water. Finland is already using the technology for their military training, and scientists are readily applying the technology It is easy to understand the importance of the brain in a sport as in the field of sport sciences. I think not so many scientists would complex as swimming if you understand the importance of the disagree if I say the times of neurodoping are coming. brain overall. To put it simply: the brain is the one that swims. This 3-pound, gelatin-like structure imprisoned by your skull Now you know how important neuroscience perspective can be dictates every single muscle movement you make, every breath in the context of sport. It is time to apply some of its basic prin- you take and partially even the fuel you will use to touch the wall ciples in your training routine to improve your chances of taking first and grant your place on the podium! the gold.

The more lectures passed, the more I realized that sport science, for Here are five neuroscientific ideas that I believe anyone can use some reason, circumvents some of the principles of neuroscience. to improve his or her swimming performance without impracti- cal wiring on their head: As it always is in competitive sport, the lack of an opponent’s knowledge is your chance to gain an advantage. In the spirit of 1. THE FALSE STAGE FRIGHT the aforementioned rule, more coaches are trying to implement Stage fright—or performance anxiety—is the unpleasant feeling as- knowledge from every corner of science to allow their athletes to sociated with the requirement to perform in front of an audience. work and compete on the highest level possible. Many swimmers know what I’m talking about. Your big race Neuroscience isn’t the exception anymore, and I am not talking starts in several minutes. It’s the moment for which you have been only about the psychological aspect. Germany’s golden boy, working before the first ray of sun comes out every day for the last Marco Koch, is one example. A few months before taking the six months. You pushed yourself through the sleepiness, sickness, gold medal in the 200 breaststroke at the World Championships mental and physical pain...and everything is going to pay off in the in Kazan from Hungarian breaststroke king Daniel Gyurta, third lap of your 200-meter race in the next minute. Koch exposed one of his secret weapons—hypnosis. Or it won’t! Your heart is pounding wildly, your hands are sweat- “I feel better prepared, and it helps me get my absolute top per- ing, and your mouth is so dry that you could light a match on formances,” Koch told the German newspaper Darmstädter your tongue! I know you’ve been through this. The reason why Tagblatt. “With hypnosis, I can find out where there are still hid- I know this is because this scenario is not a result of you being den problems because you get to know your body well, and I’m scared of the race, but your brain preparing your body to swim able to bring myself into the right flow.” the good race.

Koch is just one of the athletes exploring the uses of mystical In order to have the needed fuel for the swim, the brain has to hypnosis —inducing focused attention and reduced peripheral send signals to turn on your sleepy engines so you don’t have awareness through this method— in the realms of sports per- to do it in the beginning of your precious race for which you’ve formance. Although the number of Google searches for “gold been preparing. The muscles have to get ready, too, and your medal swimming hypnosis” in the days after the German’s tri- nerves have to send the right signals to assure that the signals umph experienced exponential growth, this not a new idea in they send in the race to activate your muscles are strong enough swimming. You can even find the act of “helping the university to allow them to propel you through the water. swimming team win the NCAA championship through hypnosis” listed under LinkedIn accomplishments back in 1995. Moreover, the great part of that preparation for the race was your brain learning when and how to turn on the mechanisms that start Hypnosis is not the only way athletes are trying to be the best the domino effect leading to symptoms similar to stage fright. version of themselves when it matters the most. Transcranial di- rect current stimulation (tDCS) is a fancy name for supercharg- Many swimmers feel their heart pounding and their palms ing your brain with small electroshocks delivered through the sweating, and that’s where the real anxiety enters. You think to electrodes on the scalp. yourself, “My heart is pounding, so I must be scared of the race, and I will probably swim badly.” With thoughts like that, you have Besides making you look like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the already lost your race focus over the simple “brain warm-up.” space technology—with use for brain-zapping dating back to 18 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 Instead, embrace your brain turning on your engines. Accept it which predestines you to demolish the pool—in swimming vo- as a sign you are ready for the race of your life. Moreover, put a cabulary, of course. wide smile on and play it cool...because everyone around you is probably having a false stage fright at the moment—and you’re Some coaches try to take advantage of associative thinking. Dave the only one who knows why! Salo is one great example. He makes his swimmers use the same warm-up day after day. In addition to allowing his swimmers to 2. MOTIVATE AND BE MOTIVATED assess how they are feeling in comparison with the day or week Be aware that motivation is the single thing that divides the best before, this kind of warm-up activates the same neurons every from the rest. When you are motivated, your brain brings out time. The brain senses the warm-up and knows that the intense the big guns. Your limbic system gets flooded with neurotrans- swimming practice will immediately follow. The simple associ- mitters, resulting in you getting an extra kick to finish the race, ation starts the similar aforementioned domino effect, and your finish the set or add another repetition at the gym. body starts to prepare for the following session. Salo also states that consistency behind this “boring” warm-up should extend Acknowledge this fact and use it consciously whenever you can. to competitions to allow your body to pre-set the well-known Write your swimming goal on one of those sticky notes and put feeling of swimming fast. it around your room. Write your favorite quote on your water bottle—the one that makes you get goose bumps—and use it 5. THE FAMOUS ZONE when you need extra drive. Finally, appreciate the complexity behind everything that is going on. Appreciate the power behind your thoughts—both pos- Finally, motivate your teammates. We tend to act like the people itive and negative—and learn to find the celebrated mind zone with whom we are surrounded. Surround yourself with motiva- for swimming fast. The key is to feel comfortable. tion by motivating others to achieve their goals. With everything I have communicated, you are now quite aware 3. CLENCH YOUR JAW that many thoughts are running around inside your unconscious Clench your jaw, roar—it may sound silly, but there is a solid mind—including right now in front of your laptop or as you stand reason for monkeying around. with one leg on the starting block on the day of your competition.

The science behind this funny advice is called concurrent acti- With so much going on, your conscious worries are the last vation potentiation. It’s another simple principle hidden behind thing you need. Try to relax and enjoy the show—that’s when some fancy words! When you want to move your muscle, the the zone usually magically appears. brain has to send signals through the nerves telling the muscle to start the contraction. A stronger signal means stronger con- * * * traction...and, of course, greater force is produced. In conclusion, I would like to add that neuroscience will proba- Since the nerves exit your brain together—not one by one—they bly offer a lot more to the field of sport science. We still have so can interact as long as they go together. Think of it as the ex- much to learn when it comes to understanding the mind. tra-excited guy on the team who makes everyone get excited. Positive energy is contagious. Nerves are similar—excited nerves A growing number of scientists are proposing that the brain is can make your friends around you get excited, too! To use this the actual villain in the decades-old debate about the limiting rule to your advantage, just mobilize more muscles when you factor of sport performance. It is the responsibility of future gen- need to produce greater contraction. Many people use this sub- erations to accept or dismiss this idea. consciously from time to time. Use it consciously, and add some Newtons to your push, pull or squat. Meanwhile, I encourage everyone not to make the same mistake as those who believe that when it comes to sport, the first asso- 4. BE AWARE OF UNCONSCIOUS LEARNING ciation should be the brawn. Rather, it is the brain that counts. ◀ When your brain stores memory, it usually uses associations. Most of you have probably played the “association game” when you were kids. Your brain plays the same game every day. How- ever, many of these associations are kept under the radar of your conscious self. About the Author: Jan Homolak, a student at the University of Zagreb Medical School in Croatia, has done research in neurosci- Many of you have a favorite pool. For most of you, it is the pool ence and exercise sciences. He is the associate editor of the student associated with your first victories, smashed personal bests or neuroscience journal, Gyrus, at the Croatian Institute for Brain national records. Every time you come to this specific pool, you Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb. Homolak, also feel great before you even jump in the water. You feel powerful a lecturer and author, swims for Zagrebacki plivacki klub (ZPK) in the moment the first chlorine molecules hit your nasal nerves, Zagreb with Coach Pero Kuterovac. OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 19 THE ] BASILE AZARIA BREASTSTROKE by Jozsef Nagy and Dr. Janos Egressy | photos by Christopher Rattray TURN OF COURTESY [ PHOTO he goal of this article is not to describe the turn of a world- to turn onto its side. Finally, while the underwater arm is go- Tclass breaststroker. The goal is to illustrate a turn that is ing deeper than any other part of the body, it is working energy -- according to the laws of physics and our knowledge of bio- upward to allow the upper body to go under water in the easi- mechanics -- quickly doable. est and fastest possible way.

It is crucial that the swimmer does not alter his or her tech- During the “pulling down” of one arm, the other hand rests nique during the last few strokes before the wall, but only at- on the wall and bends. Due to this, the head approaches the tempts to move quicker and more dramatically into the wall. wall (with the head still facing down). The entire upper body The faster a swimmer arrives at the wall, the faster and easier must not lose elevation. The hip, the head, and back level of the the turn will be. Even though the energy carried into the turn shoulders move forward at the surface of the water as the arm somewhat halts as the hands touch the wall, everything that that is left on the wall bends. is behind these hands on the wall is still greatly accelerating towards it. The swimmer only needs to “position” the body PART 2: PULLING IN THE LEGS parts so the least amount of resistance is created, and the least amount of deceleration occurs.

PART 1: APPROACHING THE WALL, PULLING BACK THE ARM The body parts approaching the wall must approach at the fastest possible pace while causing the least amount of resistance. For this, the swimmer must be in perfect streamline, since the point of attack on the wall is directly in front of the swimmer, at the surface of the water. At the last stroke the swimmer practically throws himself onto the wall so that the fingers --at the same time and same level -- arrive at the wall, about 10 centimeters apart. The arms must be straight, and the head must be looking downward to the bottom of the pool so that the head is between the shoulders. The entire #1 body must be in a streamline.

If the swimmer approaches with bent arms, he will fully stop at While the arms are doing their work, the longest movement (in the wall. Instead of a continuous motion, he will have to wait length) is done by the legs. The feet, with toes pointing back- for his legs to be pulled up underneath him. This would break wards and soles facing upwards directly under the surface of the continuum of the motions of the turn. the water, move toward the wall. The legs must be pulled up in such a way, so that the hips and the legs do not sink. The feet After the hands have touched the wall, the swimmer pulls that are moving forward directly under the surface of the water down one of the arms with a bent elbow under and beside the can only get deeper when the bent legs and knees have gotten upper body and pulls backwards. The pulled-down arm helps under the stomach. The legs under the body must be as close to the entire body to reach the wall faster, and then helps the body the swimmer’s core as possible. 20 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 parallel state occurs. There will be a moment when no body The swimmer turns around his vertical axis as the knee and part will be touching the wall. The hand that was previously on feet have gotten close enough to the core of the body. Simulta- the wall will have left it and the legs will have yet to touch it. At neously, the swimmer turns around the central point of gravity this point, the legs kick into the wall and the push off begins. with the sinking of the hip. (See photo #1) It is very important that the swimmer does not turn too far, as the legs would come up too high and he would only be able Swimmers most often make mistakes when they slow down be- to push himself downwards at that point. If this happens (in fore the wall and drop their hip before fully pulling up their leg. 99% of the cases), the dynamic push will be facing downwards and backwards rather than forward. During the push-off, the During this part of the turn, four different body-movement se- legs stretch as they push while the body twists steadily onto the quences take place at once: stomach. The arms reach forward and the entire body takes a position that causes the least resistance and glides the most. 1. The arm on the wall bends. (See photo #3) 2. The other hand begins to move backwards and goes deeper under the body, preparing to point toward the other end of the pool. 3. The swimmer “pulls in” his legs. 4. The upper body turns and from that point the swimmer is on his side.

The body must turn onto its side so the pull-down arm is now in front of the body. Ideally, we should see a straight line from hand to hand. The line extends from one hand through the head, shoulders and hips. #3 These aligned body parts must create a right angle with the wall. While underneath, the legs move toward the wall. At this PART 4: THE UNDERWATER PULL point, the head elevates and leaves the wall. This is the point Now that the swimmer has turned and left the wall, it’s time for when the swimmer takes a breath. This short period of time is the underwater pull. only enough to take a breath if the swimmer exhales all of his air while bending the arm that is left on the wall. Many swimmers make mistakes when their legs leave the wall, as they do not point their toes to be elongated in one level with PART 3: SECOND HAND LEAVES THE WALL their calves. The top of the feet (which are now facing toward The hand that is left on the wall remains there until the swim- the bottom of the pool) should serve as a steer wheel for a boat. mer’s body reaches a vertical point (with the shoulders up and Compared to the size of a boat, even a small oar can success- the legs bent underneath). The legs must be moving toward fully change the boat’s direction. In the same way, if the feet are the wall, and the hand that is in the front must move under the not level with the calves, they will bring the legs and entire low- water as fast as possible and push upward on the water. At this er body upward, and create more resistance. Thus, controlling point, the hand that is left on the wall leaves the wall. Immedi- the body’s direction is very crucial when beginning the under- ately after leaving the wall, it bends, and reaches just in front of water pull. and beside the head. (See photo #2) It is obvious that the swimmer is fastest right after he has pushed off the wall. Therefore, the underwater pull must be started when the swimmer has slowed down enough that the underwater pull is needed to maintain the pace that the swimmer will be swimming and when he begins his first stroke at the surface of the water. The underwater pull should be like the underwater component of the butterfly stroke.

In the underwater pull, the swimmer must a position himself so that by the end of the underwater pull he will have reached #2 the surface of the water. If this is not successful, they will either reach the surface too quickly or they will have to use their first Optimally, the hands, head, hips and legs become parallel and actual stroke to elevate themselves to the surface. While doing aligned with the surface of the water, about 50-60 centimeters the underwater pull, the swimmer should slightly arch his back below the surface. The turning of the body must last until this by the end of the pullout. continued on pg. 22 >>> OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 21 During the underwater pull, we can aid the upcoming first the arms finish the underwater pull under or above the level of stroke with the dolphin kick. Since the rules allow for only one the rest of the body. dolphin kick, it is very crucial how we teach the timing of that one dolphin kick to our swimmers. It is not recommended to do it before starting the underwater pull because at that point the swimmer is already gliding much faster than he will during his strokes. Therefore, due to the momentum of the push off, the dolphin kick is not needed as much right after the wall as it is after the underwater pull. And that is why the dolphin kick #5 is preferred at the final push phase of the underwater pullout. The hands must finish the push directly under or touching the In a “normal” breaststroke stroke, at this point, the legs shoul- side of the thighs. The head must be facing downwards and have already started pushing backwards. But here, in the un- at the level of the body, which is angled forward and slightly derwater stroke, it is much more efficient to do the kick later upward. (See photo #4) and to only start bringing up the legs after fully finishing the complete bringing forward of the arms. Therefore, the pace and the rhythm, is not the same as with other breaststroke strokes. Here, you must definitely delay the kick. In this case, we still have 25 percent remaining of the original speed! Therefore, this is why these motions must be done one after the other, rather than all at the same time.

And with this, the breaststroke turn finishes. If we did everything perfectly, then the swimmer starts his first pull close to the surface of the water. (See photo #6)The mistake that most often occurs is that the arms are not completely straight at the #4 beginning of the first pull. The other mistake is that the swimmer either glides too much after the finishing of the kick, or the exact opposite, that he begins the next pull too soon. But the Most swimmers practically stop after having brought their most common mistake is when the swimmer does not reach arms forward and pulled their legs up at the end of the under- the surface of the water by the end of the underwater stroke, water pull. This is the most critical point in breaststroke. This and therefore must use his first real stroke to elevate himself is where it is easiest to make a mistake. And this is also where out of the water, rather than to pull himself forward. it is easiest to create advantage over the other competitors who may be making this mistake. If we do the underwater stroke exactly at the pace of the swimming strokes, then by bringing forward our arms on the recovery phase of the pullout, we will lose about 50 percent of our speed, and with the pulling up of our legs we will lose the other 50 percent.

This arm recovery starts begins by pulling up the shoulders beside our ears, and making our bodies much thinner (by about #6 5 centimeters wide at the widest part). The hands move forward with the elbows being still and the hands being very close The turn itself – from the touching of the wall to the legs push- to the body. They cross over each other at the stomach and go ing off the wall – should take less than a second. Because of beyond the chest. The hands and elbows are moving forward this, the motions described here in detail should all individ- together only from that point. Here, the most common mis- ually take about one tenth of a second to conduct. It is there- take is that swimmers don’t bring their hands in close to their fore recommended to first practice the turn very slowly and to body during this movement, and don’t cross them over. Be- teach it with patience. ◀ cause of this, they lift their elbows up on the side wide, creating a great amount of resistance. (See photo #5) About the authors: Jozsef Nagy was the innovator behind the When the hands are in front of the face, the hands should be wave breaststroke in the 1980s and coached Mike Barrowman and with their palms facing up, moving forward parallel to each Sergio Lopez, among others, to Olympic medals. He is currently other. Once past the head, they should be moving forward coaching at the Vancouver High Performance National Swim along the central axis of the head (and entire body) until in a Centre. Dr. Janos Egressy is an associate professor and swimming straight and elongated position. It is a mistake if the hands or coach at the University of Physical Education in Budapest. 22 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 A SOFT HEAD ON BACKSTROKE

[ PHOTO COURTESY: PETER H. ] BICK COURTESY: [ PHOTO Imagine your head resting on a pillow when you are swimming backstroke. Rest it comfortably on that pillow, which is traveling mere inches below the surface of the water, and – ta da! – you’ll get rid of that nasty angle in your body line which has your legs way too deep. Keep the head still and relaxed.

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 23 WO

OUT IN THE

OPEN (WATER) ] Fenwick Tyler Courtesy of [ Photo

The University of Tennessee is leading the way in a new trend of ditching the pool at the start of the college swim season and heading to the open water. By Lillian Nelson

cross the country, college programs are constantly looking there has to be a mutual trust between coaches and athletes, Afor new and innovative ways to train. Whether it is in or Fenwick said. He pointed out that when he asks his athletes to out of the water, a switch-up of training can greatly enhance hit max speed, he is confident that they are pushing themselves athletes’ skills and boost team morale. to do so. If there is no common understanding, the training technique will turn out to be much less effective. One of these newly emerging strategies is the use of an open water venue for training. The University of Tennessee swim Not only is there a necessary mutual respect and trust needed, program has implemented this for a few years since the arrival but Fenwick also stated that “it allows [his swimmers] to take of Associate Coach Tyler Fenwick to the staff, and it has reaped ownership of their swimming and it allows them to be cre- benefits for distance swimmers and sprinters on the squad. ative.” Fenwick will even give them the opportunity to create their own workouts within the parameters he provides. Fenwick described this aspect of training as “a canvas to paint on that is somewhat unlimited.” The team trains week- When swimmers are given extra opportunities to take owner- ly throughout the year in the Tennessee River, which runs ship of their sport, thus taking ownership of their own success in through their campus. They also use a quarry just outside of the sport, there is an enhanced sense of pride and responsibility campus, a rowing basin, and their pool with the lane lines tak- added in to the mix. It is much less of a mental taxation on a en out. Additionally, the team goes on an annual surf trip to swimmer when they are allowed and encouraged to add their the beaches of North Carolina, where the swimmers have the own components to their training, as opposed to being told ex- opportunity to work with a surf instructor. Tennessee’s explo- actly what to swim and how to swim it, no questions asked. ration of “outside-the-box” training strategies has proven to be beneficial to athletes in their program. Fenwick went on to explain that once their distance group began to feel the benefits of open water training, head coach Matt There are not only physical benefits to this technique, but Fen- Kredich saw that this type of workout “really applies to every- wick also emphasized the “break from staring at a black line” one on the team in different formats.” This year, they have even that it offers. Fenwick also explained that many of their target- begun to train their sprint group in open water, and have again ed “energy zones” that they aim to hit during the week can be seen many positives come out of it. Each open water session is attained “swimming in zigzags in a pool with no lane lines just “tailored” for each different training group, whether it is sprint, as well as swimming back and forth.” As long as athletes are do- distance, middle distance, or stroke and IMers. Everyone is ing their individual and collective parts and training with the given the opportunity to get what they need. correct intensity, open water training can ultimately transfer added benefits to their races. Any time there is a switch-up or a change of pace in the grind of swim practice, swimmers will get excited. Fenwick relayed In order for this type of training to be as effective as possible, that his athletes “get excited for open water workouts. They’re 24 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 on the pool deck before an open water workout, and there is Open water training fosters an environment where athletes a different energy to it.” For an athlete to get better, faster and get in the habit of being on the same page as their teammates, stronger, any spark of positive energy can do wonders for the while at the same time being challenged by one another. Hav- effectiveness of their training on a day-to-day basis. ing the opportunity “to train with a pack opens the door for some great new techniques,” Fenwick stated. In regards to the benefits of open water training transferring into racing, Fenwick commented that it has greatly sharpened Emphasizing the distance program, Fenwick made it a point his athletes’ skills. The swimmers have been able to “play off to state that he “wants swimmers that are excited and passion- of each other” and enhance their racing strategies in ways that ate about swimming. It doesn’t have to be a grind if your perspective isn’t that it’s a grind, and you motivate.” Training open training in a lane and swimming back and forth for two hours water allows swimmers to get used to being on their toes in wouldn’t quite help them grasp to the same extent. Fenwick de- the water through the practice of communication with their scribed that while getting comfortable training with each other teammates and anticipation of what comes next. in open water, they have developed the skill of being able to “feel what they have to do next.” Coach Fenwick expressed much excitement about the direction and velocity of his program and was very optimistic This is a huge asset in the realm of the swimming world. There about the ways in which open water training has been and are countless racing strategies out there, and each individual will benefit his swimmers. swimmer has their own. But having the ability to sense and an- ticipate how an opponent is going to execute a race, and then Open water training, he said, “is something that hasn’t ever being able to react reasonably and adjust accordingly is a skill really been done before and it has opened a lot of doors for that not many swimmers even consider developing. our program.” ◀ [ Photo Courtesy of Tyler Fenwick ] Fenwick Tyler Courtesy of [ Photo

OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 25 STARTING THINGS OFF RIGHT

A poor start can mean the difference between a gold medal and a silver medal around your neck.

When you hear the starting signal, every muscle in your body – from your head to your toes – should spring into action to get you into the water quickly and with blazing fast speed.

Throw your head forward to start the motion, then the rest of your body should use the starting block as a launchpad for a great race. [ PHOTO COURTESY: PETER H. ] BICK COURTESY: [ PHOTO

26 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 T/D

KICKING UNDERWATER TO 15 METERS: by Delaney Lanker

IS IT FOR EVERYONE? ] 2014 DOHA FINA COURTESY: PHOTO [

Underwater kicking has become the buzz among many swim- the top kickers in the field, and used that to set what was then mers and coaches in the past few years. Since the turn of the the junior world record of 59.58 in the 100 backstroke. century, swimmers have found that the best way to get faster in butterfly, backstroke and freestyle is to go deep. “Consistency is key,” Plumb said. “Each athlete must decide how much they are going to kick in a race and develop the In early July, Ryan Lochte challenged the underwater kicking ability to kick that far and fast each day.” rules at the 2015 Athens Sectionals. He kicked on his back underwater when he pushed off the wall in his 200 freestyle, With a set called “Carmel Shooters,” Plumb’s team works on and did the same when starting the freestyle leg of the 200 IM. dolphin kicks with a challenge thrown in. Lochte said he and his coach, David Marsh, discovered that he was not only extremely fast underwater, but he was fastest “Every day we train for underwaters,” Plumb said. “We use when kicking on his back. The technique raised a lot of ques- kickout buoys that force athletes to go a certain distance off the tions about underwater kicking in the swimming community, wall each day in workout.” but got a lot of people talking. The Carmel Swim Club often uses these “kickout buoys” to get “It is not for everyone, but for those who can do it well, it is an his swimmers to kick underwater past seven meters, teaching advantage,” said Chris Plumb, the head coach at Carmel Swim them to believe in the power of their kicks. Club. “If you are not proficient at kicking underwater, you are getting passed by someone who is.” Science has shown that swimmers are unequivocally faster underwater. Many would like the sport to return to the way it The rules state that swimmers can kick for no more than 15 was in the mid-1990s, when athletes didn’t have a set limit on meters underwater in butterfly, backstroke and freestyle, but underwater kicking. Plumb said he would prefer the 15-meter not every world-class swimmer pushes that limit. Missy Frank- lin barely goes 10 meters off her walls. Michael Phelps, who rule stay in place. was once regarded as the king of the underwater kick, doesn't go that far underwater anymore. Look at an elite backstroke “I think for spectators – and for the good of the sport – peo- race, however, and almost all of the eight in a championship ple want to be able to see (a race) with their eyes,” Plumb final are emerging right at 15 meters. said. “If swimmers are underwater, then the spectating value is diminished.” Plumb acknowledges that not all swimmers need to go as far underwater as others, but proficiency is crucial. The 15-meter rule is not going away anytime soon, so athletes such as Lochte will continue to challenge the rules. As the “The key is to look at cost versus reward,” Plumb said. “How importance of underwater kicking has grown over the years, much does it cost an athlete in terms of energy versus how Plumb realizes these strategies must be implemented by swim- much of advantage they gain against the rest of the field?” mers at a very young age.

That was a question one of Plumb’s top athletes faced at the “It is certainly something you want athletes to be able to do and USA Swimming nationals in August. Claire Adams was one of to develop at young ages.” ◀ OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 27 RS [ PHOTO COURTESY: PETER H. ] BICK COURTESY: [ PHOTO RACE SIMULATION: THE KEY TO OPTIMAL MEET PERFORMANCE by Bryan Craig

ace simulation in a training situation is just that –a simu- the race simulations happens during a morning workout, while Rlation. How close is simulation to the real thing? It might the other is during an afternoon workout. look the same, feel the same, but the results are not even close. At any point a swimmer should be ready to get up and race, as For example, a flight simulator looks the same – you will see all this will help increase the adrenaline. At any point in time I can those buttons on the flight console. It even feels the same as the tell my swimmers to get out and get ready to race. They should computer simulates the feelings of turbulence. But it’s not close all perform within 1 percent of their best time. When we push to being real, as you are not flying that 100-ton plane in reality this thought process, the swimmer’s mind is always ready to do and you do not have the thought of killing everyone onboard what they do best – race. if you crash, if you run out of fuel or if you miss the runway. We set our simulation up with a simple meet warm up. The When I set up my athletes for a racing simulation, it is true that kids are unaware that they will be simulating racing as the they are racing, but they are missing a few key things which aim is to get the kids to manage to perform at their best at any change the whole game. No crowd, no true opponents, no time. Due to the nature of our pool (shallow depth, no starting adrenaline, no pump-up music, no previous races to watch to blocks), I take into account a three-second buffer. get the synapses moving in the brain. We chart the target times, but we also chart health and well-be- So why do it? ing before each simulation by asking simple questions with an- swers coming on a scale of 1 to 10. If the kid is way off on his The better we get at a simulation, the better swimmer we will time, we are aware of what may or may not be the issue. be in the end game. If your current time in a race is 25 seconds but in simulation you keep doing 27, you might get frustrated. Breed the mentality from a young age. Get the younglings However, the better you get at the simulation, the better the to open a chart and track their progress. Once a week, make chances of bringing your time down to 26 in the simulation. them get up and go for one sprint. As the child progresses, it Then, in theory, your time in a race should drop by that same keeps the mind fresh within training and encourages a safe difference to perhaps 24. competitive spirit.

So when is the best time to perform one of these simulations? At any point in time you can and you will get up and race like Any time! On my team, we simulate twice per month. One of you are in a race situation. ◀ 28 OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 WO [ PHOTO COURTESY: PETER H. ] BICK COURTESY: [ PHOTO TRAINING SETS FOR YOUR 200 IM AND BUTTERFLY SPECIALISTS by Evan Dulaney

IM TRAINING 1 x 200 recovery on 4:00 Cory Kephart, the head age group coach at Seminole Aquatics 10 x 50 fly hold even pace and even stroke count on :55 in Sanford, Fla., uses the following set once or twice a month 1 x 200 recovery on 4:00 throughout the season to focus on 200 IM preparation. The set 5 x 100 fly hold even pace and even stroke count on 1:50 will often pop up a few days before a meet. 1 x 200 recovery on 4:00 2 x 200 fly hold even pace and even stroke count on 3:40 Three rounds: 3x50 on 1:00 Maintaining an even stroke count and pace throughout the set (25 fly/25 back on round 1, 25 back/25 breast on round 2, 25 develops butterfly endurance, Rehkamp says. breast/25 free on round 3) “As the distance builds, it’ll be tougher for swimmers to hold an 1x50 stroke fast on 1:00 even pace and stroke count,” Rehkamp continues. “It’s crucial (Fly for round 1, back for round 2, breast for round 3) they stay long, continue to incorporate their legs, and work every 1x100 IM fast + 1x50 free recovery on 3:00 wall the same.

Kephart says: “The intervals aren’t fast, giving the swimmers an opportunity to focus more on stroke count and pace rather than going fast to “This set, although short, covers a lot of important IM ground- make (the interval). That doesn’t mean the swimmers can’t hold work. The three 50s in the beginning focus on fast transition turns, a relatively fast pace. Butterfly specialists in particular should be which can ultimately be the difference maker in an IM race. The holding a fairly fast pace.” fast 50s are intended to be at or below the swimmer’s best 200 IM split for that stroke. In a sense, it’s pacing for a 200 IM. Holding an even stroke count and pace will obviously become more difficult as the distance shifts from 25s and 50s to 100s “Next, the swimmers need to blast the 100 IM so their time is faster and 200s. This presents the ultimate challenge to the swim- than half their best 200 IM time.” mers. If they’re able to conquer that aspect of the set, their fly is in an excellent rhythm. The set is manageable for virtually every age group who swims 200 IMs, Kephart says. Consistent practice with it, he adds, As a coach, hold your swimmers accountable throughout the should yield a solid IM swim. Before major meets, feel free to set. Ask about their stroke counts often to make sure they’re al- go from a dive on the fast 100 IMs and 50 fly. During taper, ways thinking about it. Call out times so they know what pace tinker with the cycles for a max taper effort. they’re hitting.

BUTTERFLY SET Sets like this help swimmers in longer fly races keep a consis- The name of the game for this fly set is consistency. Chad tent stroke throughout their races. The 1900 yards of fly will Rehkamp, head age group coach at the Northern Kentucky certainly make the 200 fly seem like a cakewalk. ◀ Clippers, utilizes this set with his top age-group swimmers. About the author: Evan Dulaney is the lead national prep coach 20 x 25 fly hold even pace and even stroke count on :25 with the Northern Kentucky Clippers. OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2015 29 FLY LOW

There’s a reason why Michael Phelps is the best butterfly swimmer in history. The energy during his strokes are focused more on moving forward, not up and down. Body position during the breath on butterfly should be almost flat, with the chin resting mere centimeters above the wave you’ve created during your swim. To maximize the potential for a flatter stroke, recover the arms close to the surface of the water. The higher the arm recovery, the greater the body angle during the breath, which causes unnecessary drag.

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